Fears grow as strong winds set to spell more disaster in LA - and death toll rises to 16

12 January 2025, 07:33 | Updated: 12 January 2025, 12:14

The death toll in LA has risen to 16 as firefighters brace themselves for strong winds as they continue to battle the wildfires.

The total number of confirmed fatalities stands at 16 victims, the LA County medical examiner's office confirmed.

Five of the deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire, and 11 resulted from the Eaton Fire, the coroner's office said in a statement on Saturday evening.

The death toll is expected to rise even further as cadaver dogs search levelled neighbourhoods and crews assess the devastation.

Firefighters are racing to cut off the spreading wildfires before strong winds return, pushing the flames towards the world famous J Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

It comes as new evacuation warnings have left more homeowners on edge.

Read more: LA wildfires blaze on as evacuation orders continue with locals told to stay inside over smoke fears

Read more: 13 people missing and 22 arrested in wildfires as prisoners 'deployed to fight blazes'

A fierce battle against the flames was underway in Mandeville Canyon, home to Arnold Schwarzenegger and other celebrities not far from the Pacific coast, where swooping helicopters dumped water as the blaze charged downhill.

Firefighters on the ground used hoses in an attempt to beat back leaping flames as thick smoke blanketed the hillside.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that some looters are dressing as firefighters to steal from deserted homes.

There have been a number of arrests since the fires began, with an LAPD spokesperson saying: "We even made arrests of two individuals that were actually posing as firefighters coming in and out of houses."

At a briefing, CalFire operations chief Christian Litz said the main focus on Saturday was the Palisades Fire burning in the canyon area.

"We need to be aggressive out there," Mr Litz said.

County supervisor Lindsey Horvath said LA "had another night of unimaginable terror and heartbreak, and even more Angelenos evacuated due to the northeast expansion of the Palisades Fire".

Light breezes were fanning the flames, but the National Weather Service warned that strong Santa Ana winds - the nemesis of firefighters - could soon return.

Those winds have been largely blamed for turning the wildfires into infernos that levelled entire neighbourhoods around a city where there has been no significant rainfall in more than eight months.

The fire also was threatening to jump over Interstate 405 and into densely populated areas in the Hollywood Hills and San Fernando Valley.